Oklahoma Blood Institute Lacking Donations Due To Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has led businesses, restaurants and schools to close, but the Oklahoma Blood Institute said the need for blood doesn’t stop and it can’t stop.

The Oklahoma Blood Institute said they need 1,200 people to donate blood every day to keep up with the demand.

Since schools are closed and people are working from home, hundreds of OBI’s blood drives are canceled. The Oklahoma Blood Institute said they supply blood to 90% of the medical facilities in Oklahoma.

They say even with all the closures, there is still a constant need for blood for patients across the state.

The Blood institute said they rely heavily on high school, colleges and workplaces to host blood drives to keep their blood supply at the level they need, so during the COVID-19 crisis they are relying on people to come in to donate.

They say they’re also trying to get creative and find ways to use their mobile blood drive buses. They’ve been parking the buses at different offices, so donors can just walk outside of work and donate blood.

They say also l plan have mobile blood donation sites in different areas across northeast Oklahoma.

Jan Laub is the executive director of the Oklahoma Blood Institute office Tulsa and said they are just trying to practice avoiding a crisis.

 “We need people to know that it still needs to be constant,” said Laub. “We don’t need 1,200 people to show up at the door tomorrow, what we need is people to call, schedule an appointment, continue to give blood.”

OBI is following CDC guideline. They are keeping all donation chairs six feet apart and taking everyone’s temperature before they walk in the door.